Racket for tennis and like games



Jan. 31;` 1939. E. H. AUBERT V RACKET FOR TENNIS AND LIKE GAMES .Filed Jan. 22, 1957 2 sheets-sheet 1 v ACEEIZDCZIJCSCZDCZM: N' n y y a.

'Jaxil 31, 1939. 2' A E. H..AUERTI l 2,145,785

a RAGKET FOR TENNIS AND'LIKE GAMES Fil'edJan. 22, 1957 2 Sheets-sneer 2 .Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Societe pour la Realisation et lExploitation vcllnventions Mecaniques Reim, Neuilly-sur- Seine, France Application January 22, 1937, Serial! No. 121,899 In France January 28, 1936 11 claims. (o1. 273-73)v fThis invention relates to rackets for tennis and like games. A

The-invention has for its object to provide a racket which has a simple construction, which is of a low cost price and in which the string network can be readily stretched and slackened at will.

The invention has further for its object to provide a racket in which the strings may have a y v higher tension than heretofore, owing to the 'fact thatiallpthe strings are stretched simultaneously thus avoiding all stresses of distortion upon the frame.vr

' The invention has further for its objectY to Il provide a racket in which the strings can be mounted by any person, for the whole or in part,

without special tools and without initial tension.

` The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which' are 20 given merely by way of example, and ink which:

L' Fig. 1 is a partial view, in section, parallel with the faces, of a racket according to the present invention, which is represented with, its network slaCkened. Y

Vllrigy 2. is an analogous partial view, butkwith' j v the network stretched.

.':rFigz 3 is a front view of" one of the two exible Y traction 4bands, of the embodimentshown in l. Fig. 4 is aside View corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of ther frame, on the Vline I'l-ll of Fig. 1', but on a larger scale.

j Figs. 'f5 and 7 are respectively Va. side view' and La* front view corresponding to Fig. Y1 of one of thesmall pulleys which are mounted 'on the bars ofthe flexible bands jin forder to facilitatethe n f formation of loopsinthe string of which the network'is formed. f f f 'f f Fig. '8 is a longitudinal section of one of vthe `'40 riders -of Fig. 1, to which is attachedone ofthe flexible traction bands,- and of the nut which yis screwedupon one of the threaded parts of the j operating screw, j

Fig. 9 is a side view ofthe rider shown in Fig. 8

a whichv serves for the attaching.r f Y Y o, Fig. 10 is aoplan view of thersame.

Fig. 1111s a. longitudinau section," on `the .une

" ible traction band.V

f' iH-f-JII of Fig. 12, of a forliijofthe eX- Y 12 is a corresponding plan View.: `3 o ,1 V`In the embodiment represented the invention supposed tobe applied 'to aracket having a to thefrear end of the handle. 'I'he combination of the extensions lEL and of the throat-piece 20a is joined together by cementing and/ or by screws 12. At the outer part, and on either side of the middle part 21)L and of the extensions la, are preferably cemented, in the known manner, suitable-strengthening plates and curved pieces 62 (Fig.-.4)1,.consisting of wood, the fibres of these pieces: being perpendicular or oblique to the ibres of the pieces which they cover. Furthermore, a curved pieceflis cemented, for strengthening piirposes'pin the interior of the frame and adjacent Vthe throat-piece. ffOii'fei'ther'side ofthe throat-piece and as far aszth'er transverseaxis'of the frame, the said frame` I compriseson its outer face a groove (Fig, `5)' havinga :small depth but a relatively considerable width. In each of the grooves 65 is engaged a rib 'I2 (Fig. 5) formed on a member 13 (Figs. 1, 2`and 5)' secured by cementing or 20 otherwise to the lateral face of the frame I. The said rib does not entirely fill the said groove in the framefl, thus leaving a space having a flat section. l Theqsaid -groove is sectioned axially upon its whole length by a narrower groove 'I4 (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) which latter is formed in the member "I3 `and extendsv towards the interior of the frame l beyond the groove 65. The groove 65 andthe portion of the groove '14 provided in the framey I', form `together a substantially T- 30 shaped grooveln-the frame. The said frame is pierced upon its whole periphery, with the exception Aofthe throat-piecewith holes 61 which are situated'adjacent'the two grooves 65, and open intothese latter.' 35' leach groove 65 is freely slidable a traction band-1,5, which is adapted to support a considerable'traetive force-'(such as 1000 to 1500 kgs). The bandsl 15 may consist of a steel of great strength, and they are suinciently flexible to fit upon the curved part of the frame without difhculty. "i i f Y Eachy band 15, whose thickness may be constant, may have a constant width, or preferably, its width..may from the end next the 5 throat-piece, to the other end, as shown in Fig. 3. In fact,'i the stress'A upon the metal decreases from the lend-.16 to the end l1, and the form represented'in Fig. V15 permits of reducing the weight without'prejudice to the strength. 50 f lThe bands 15 comprise, upon their whole length, perforations18, leaving between them transverse bara-19. Upon each bar'is engaged, owing'to a radlal'notch- 80 (Figs. 6, 7, 8)- a small 'grooved pulley 81:1' Y 55 Adjacent the throat-piece 20a, the bands 'I5 are attached by their last perforations 18 to the upper lugs 82 (Figs. 1, 2, 8, 9, 10) of two riders 33, which may consist of suitably bent sheet metal and have a general section in the form of an inverted T (Fig. 9). They are slidable in a transverse aperture. 8 of corresponding form (Figs, 1, 2, 4)' which ispiercedcleai"throughthe throat-piece 26a and the extensions Iau of the frame. Preferably, the sliding of the two riders 83 in the aperture 84 is facilitated byvery hard metal friction plates 85-88 which are mounted in said aperture and make contact.-rospoctivelyl with one of the shoes 81 of" eachf rider' and the bands 15. 'f

Each rider 83 forms a sort of forked bracket which is rotatable on a cylindricatlf.member` 89; whose axis is perpendicular to the faires the: racket. The two members 89 serve as nuts..anclr for this purpose they are tapped according to an axis parallel with the axis of: thezfaperture: 84 and perpendicular to the. axes ofy the: cylindrical surfaces of the said; members 89.. The nuts. 8:8 are screwed to respective: parts SIL-Blf of an operating screw;l threaded' in contrary directions, which is situated inthe aperture. 84;. The' said screw (SU-9L) has at oneendL ai square-part92.;-l maley or female by which'. it canf be turned; by a key. A central.4 shoulder .9-3; separates theT two inversely threadedparts SI1-91...

Thenetwork,` which. is:l mountedI and;V stretched uponathe'said4 frame; consists of a. single flexibler string (catgut, cord or wire.) which" is: mounted ini zigzag. in two. directions X-X, which are=inclined andr in. symmetrical; positioniwithv ref! erence.y to the.- longitudinal axisofi the: racket,.the two'ends. of the string being j oinedtogether byfa knot.` At onezend. of each.zigzagthertwostrands of. the flexible string;` I Baform a loop: passing throughl two successive holes 6,:'Iwv im the frame I.; ati the other end' of each zigzag., the two; strands forming. thev next; loop, passthrough. two; suc,` cessive'holes 61. inthe framejh and also through two successive perforations 18rin. one' of theltwo flexible bands 115 the loop being placed. around the pulley 8'I- whichl isvv mounted on-.the transverse bar 19 of the bandlocated1between-theltwoaforesaid`perforations 18;.-

, The stretching is obtained by.4 turning the'screw (98--9 I,)- in the.- directionf whichlwi'll bring the two nuts towardsthe longitudinal; axis of the racket, and; the said` nuts wilt assume,.for instance, the position represented in, ligf.2odrawing with@ them the riders 83, and-these.latter'willgdraw-upon the flexible bands 'I5 in the direction: the, arrows f2 and f3 (Fig. 1),. Thev pulleys 8I will thusmove withreference-to theperforations 61; of. thefra-me If, thus lengthening the loopsy which are,y formed around them. This lengthening causes the gerreral` and. simultaneous: stretchingoffl the: network` I3. ,Y

In order to slacken this network, it is: simply necessary toY turn the screw (190;-8 I),v in the', contrary direction, so as to separate thel nutsf 89 and hence the riders 83;; Fig. 1: shows.l their position. when the: network is slackenedf..V It should beY noted that since the said riders'I are: pivotally mounted; on the cylindricalfnuts 89, these nuts are notr subjected to' anylateral stress. in; spite of the fact thatthereactionsof the bands. li'r are eccentricy withreference to. theraid's' ot the screw SIL-9+. These reactions are, infA contrary directions,` andf are. balanced by the. usef'of: the riders 831 thenuts: 89 and: the screw- Bll, SI', independently of the throat-piece 20a, and for this reason; the

latter is not subjected to any stresses due to the fact that the network I3 is stretched and is maintained in this position. f

Figs. 11 and 12 show a modiiied form of the band 15, in which the separately-mounted pulleys used in the preceding construction are replaced simple lugs which are suitably benti at 85, such lugsfresulting from the formation oftheperforations 18 by a partial punching of the band.

ybviously, the invention is not limited to the emhodiments.` herein described and represented, which are given solely by way of example. In the:y devices represented, the perforations 'I8 of the'bands 15 and the perforations El of the frame I; aresupposed" to'A be'- equidistant, but in order to obtain elongations of the strands of the network. I-3: which. are practically proportional to the lengths: of the different strands, the perforations4 'I8 of the bands 'I5 and/or the perforations 6T ofthe frame I may be unequally spaced.

rIihe piecesl 'I3- which. are: mountedlaterally` on the frame I in order to conceal the bands. l5, are of optional.- use; they' may be'. eliminated, and. in this` case the: loa-ndsv l5. are; quite.- visible,` and. are flush with the lateral face of the frame.

Obviously, thev saidinver-ition is as well adapted to rackets with metallicframes as to rackets with woodv frames,r andthe frame may have any iorm whether. ovali round. or theA like..

Having. now. described my invention what I claiml as` newy and desire to secure by Letters Batentxis: Y

1. A racket for tennis or like games, comprising combination Yan openirame with handle, a. string network4 stretchedI across said frame, on. either side: of. the. longitudinal axis ot said frame. a flexible metallic band` bearing flatwise om said trame and. adaptedV to support. said. network and. to slide. along said. frame and means adaptedv to exert a-y traction uponY said bands'to slide them. along said.V frame, whereby said network can be stretched` or slackened'aty will.

y2.. A. racket. for tennis or like games comprising in combination an open frame with` handle and..r provided. withA holes, a, string` network stretched across said" frame; with its diiferent strands passedthrough said holes, on either. side of. the longitudinal axis ot said' frame a. flexible metallic band bearing flatwise on said frame and adapted. to slidev along. said frame. and provided with. perforations. leaving. between, them strips of the metal of the band'. aboutwhich strips `are looped, the strings of saidVV string network and means adaptedtov exert a. traction..upon said bands to slide-them along. said..V frame.

3'. Aracket asT claimedin claim l., in. whichz said bands. are. connected. together and arehfree to vslide as a whole along the frame in either. di-

rection.. Y

4. A racketfor tennis or like games compris.- ing in combinationan. open. frame with handle, a. stringnetwork stretched across. said frame, on either side of the longitudinal axisoi said frame a flexible. metallicjband bearing iiatwise onv said frame and adapted toY supportsaid networkv and to slide along. said` frame,- a.. screw having. two parts threaded` in: contrary directions'and arranged ins a transverse aperture' provided inthe throat-piece of the racket in which i-t is capa-ble of sliding longitudinallygtwonuts, onefscrewedon each of saidtwofpartsand adapted to slide without rotating in saidv aperture., connecting means adapted to connect-the ends adjacentvsaid: throatpiece of: saidtwo band'swithq saidy nuts, whereby, whenzvsaid screwv isv rotated; said-two,v nuts. are

displaced along said screw in contrary directions and are adapted to exert an equal traction on each of said bands. f

5. A racket as claimed in claim 4, in which Vsaid connecting means are constituted by riders adaptedto engage walls of said transverse aperture and in which said nuts each comprise axles 1liV constituted byv riders adapted to pivot about said ture which are which are vperpendicular to the axis of said screw and are at right angles to the plane of said frame,

said riders being adapted to pivot about Vsaid axles.v

'6.YA racket as claimed in claim 4,' Vin which said huts have externally the form of a cylinder the axis of which is perpendicular to the axis of said screw and at right angles to the plane of said frame, in which said connecting means are cylinders and adapted to engage walls of said ,transverse aperture and further comprisin-g protecting metal plates lining the walls of said aperengaged by said riders and said bands.

7. A racket as claimed in claim 2, in which l the metalv corresponding to the perforations is strips are unequally spaced so as to determine for each of them, with reference to said holes, a starting position which is such that for a given displacement of said bands, the same tension will be set up in the different strands of the network, irrespectively of their differences in length.

9. A racket as claimed in claim 4, in which said connecting means are constituted by riders adapted to engage walls of said transverse aperture and in which said nuts each comprise axles which are perpendicular to the axis of said screw and are at right angles to the plane of said frame, said riders being adapted to pivot about said axles, and being each formed with a lu-g adapted to penetrate a perforation of said bands. j 10. A racket as claimed in claim 1, in which said frame comprises on its outer face a longitudinal substantially T shaped groove providing for two shoulders on which bear said bands.

11. A racket as claimed in claim 1, in which said frame comprises on its outer face a longitudinal substantially T shaped groove providing for two shoulders on which bear said bands and a covering member formed with a rib partially engaging the widest part of said groove and having a longitudinal slit.

EMILE HENRI AUBERT. 

